Wednesday, July 10, 2013

week 40 | I have the most boring email titles ever, so I will just finish this sentence.

HELLLOOOOOOOOOO there family.

Wow. You guys had some pretty awesome adventures in the Hughes family this week. You guys sure know how to party hard. It reminds me of some of our vacation weeks of non stop fun. That is what is so awesome about California, is that we don't even have to travel far away from home. It looks like a blast. I LOVE hearing about it. I really do. I love to see all of your smiling faces. I love the Voges too. They are practically our family. I love them as well. Give them a big hug for me. Haha, I laughed as I imagined Z man hitting himself in the face with a paddle :) I brag about all of our vacations and adventures here all the time. I love you guys and am glad that you are all doing well. That is way exciting that you guys are going out to Utah. That will be great. Our family is getting so much older it blows me away.

Well, as for this week. It was a pretty great week for us here. The Lord is pouring out blessings here. I have seen a change in myself and in the work here this week.

First of all, I got the amazing amazing news that one of my investigators from Duncan is getting baptized soon!!!!!!! Do you all remember E. He is getting baptized on July 20th. That brings sooooo much joy to my heart. I cannot even describe it. We are all working in this great work together. Elder R my MTC comp is actually serving in Duncan right now, so he is finishing off all of my unfinished work in Duncan. What a miracle this work is. I grew to love E so much, I am just sad I can't be there for his baptism. They are still teaching S as well.

As for us here in Nogales, we have had alot of success finding. I have learned that as we go out and try our very best the Lord blesses us. We tracted about 10 doors in an apartment complex and found 3 new investigators. I stand all amazed how sometimes the Lord lets us struggle for days and days and then in 30 minutes we get blessed. Another girl we found this week her name is J. She is the sister of an investigator that we haven't had alot of time to meet with. Her sister wasn't there, but J is truly searching and prepared for what we have in this gospel.

Another amazing experience we had this week. We were walking down the street and talked to this super old man named J. He is one of those people that you can just tell he has been through a really really hard life. We started talking to him, and it turned into a very powerful lesson. He is a lost soul, and I am sure that we were led to him. He started crying and telling us about the burdens in his life. I was able to testify to him of Christ's love and the peace of the gospel. There is nothing more that I love doing than that. He was one of those people who's eyes held such burdens and pain. I can't really describe it. He took me by the hands and told me to never stop doing what I am doing now. He told us over and over again to never give up. He pleaded with us " why has no one ever taken me to your church." He cried and pleaded that over and over. It was really emotional. We just kept telling him that we are here today to do just that. We set up a member to go pick him up for church on Sun. but he wasn't home. I am looking forward to continuing to work with him.

For District Meeting this week we made homemade ice cream. It was delicious. I had to get creative and make it an object lesson into how we receive revelation through the Book of Mormon. Challenge accepted. It went really well. For some reason there is an ice cream maker in our apt.

The Fourth of July was good here in Nogales. Honestly holidays are the worst days for missionary work. I really am not a big fan of holidays out here. No one is home and no one wants to talk to you haha. We did go down to the big city event and make some chalk mormon.org ads that were pretty cool. Alot of people walked over them and read them. You never know when you are going to get a contact. On last P day we were in the bathroom at walmart and this guy from mexico asked us if we were mormon and we of course said yes. We talked to him and got a referral to send the Mexico missionaries to his house. You never know where you will share the gospel haha. We had a fourth of july bbq at the White's house with all the missionaries. It was way fun. The Whites are some of my favorite members I have met. They are awesome. They live about 4 apts down from us, so they are like me and Elder G's family. They are awesome. Then all the missionaries had to go in early, and so we watched a church movie to end the night. The weirdest part of all was when I remembered my last 4th of July. I can't believe time has flown that fast. It is crazy. I am sure the next year will be ever faster and it scares me.

We helped a member family build a goat shed this week. Good fun.

OH the monsoons here are awesome. It is quite amazing. They come in every afternoon and the lightning and thunder are awesome. We miss out on that stuff in California ;)

The biggest miracle of the week was R. I love this man so much. He has continued to astound us this week. He is doing so well. I am sure he will be baptized. We teach him every day and every day it just gets better. The spirit is so strong. He truly GETS the book of mormon and the restoration like no other person I have met. I have never loved teaching someone as much as I love teaching R. I wish I could adequately describe what it is like. A member of the 70 Elder De Ollas came to our branch this week. He was amazing, and R got to meet him. I got to meet him to, he is a man of God. He told us the brethren think that the church will have 100,000 missionaries soon. What a miracle.

Last night's lesson with R was something that I will never forget. We decided to watch the Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration movie. It was an inspired move. Of course the movie was amazing. I feel the spirit every single time I watch it. At the end we prayed and just as we were about to leave, Roger had one question. He said "Has there ever been a church that has been persecuted as much as this one." We thought about it, and humbly answered no. Then Elder G said "Well, there has been one other. It was the church of Jesus Christ when he was on the earth." Then R said two words that I will never forget. "Same church." I almost passed out I was so happy. What a miracle. I will never forget it.

I am excited for this coming week. It is looking great. I know that when we are on the Lord's errand we are able to receive his help.

It truly is the same church. I know that. I know it with all of my heart. I can say that without one doubt. How I love this gospel. This work has continued to teach me more than I can express in words. It truly is inexpressible. I love this gospel and I know that the book of mormon is true. I have felt the Lord walk with us here. We are seeing his miracles. I have learned to pray like I never could have ever imagined I could pray. Serving the Lord is the best choice I have ever made. I love this work. I love all of you. I think of you often. I truly do feel of your prayers. I don't believe that we chose you mom and dad as our parents. I believe that our loving heavenly father chose you for us. I really believe that. I love you all. Stay firm in the faith. Read the scriptures and pray like you mean it. It has worked for me, and it will work for all that try it.